Surface modified stainless steels for PEM fuel cell bipolar plates
- Oak Ridge, TN
- Littleton, CO
A nitridation treated stainless steel article (such as a bipolar plate for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell) having lower interfacial contact electrical resistance and better corrosion resistance than an untreated stainless steel article is disclosed. The treated stainless steel article has a surface layer including nitrogen-modified chromium-base oxide and precipitates of chromium nitride formed during nitridation wherein oxygen is present in the surface layer at a greater concentration than nitrogen. The surface layer may further include precipitates of titanium nitride and/or aluminum oxide. The surface layer in the treated article is chemically heterogeneous surface rather than a uniform or semi-uniform surface layer exclusively rich in chromium, titanium or aluminum. The precipitates of titanium nitride and/or aluminum oxide are formed by the nitriding treatment wherein titanium and/or aluminum in the stainless steel are segregated to the surface layer in forms that exhibit a low contact resistance and good corrosion resistance.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- United States Department of Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Assignee:
- UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN)
- Patent Number(s):
- 7,247,403
- Application Number:
- 11/071,830
- OSTI ID:
- 913099
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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